Maps —Playlist: Turning The Mind & We Can Create

The Mute Synth

Originally created for the legendary Short Circuit presents Mute event at the Roundhouse, the Dirty Electronics Mute Synth is a hand-held touch and tilt instrument with copper etched artwork and contoured printed circuit board that was designed in collaboration Mute and long time associate, graphic designer Adrian Shaughnessy.

The instrument combines sound synthesis with a sequencer/pulser, and is controlled by the conductivity of the human body which completes the instrument’s circuit when the copper etching is touched. Designed to be played with thumbs and fingers, there are touch points on both sides of the circuit board and two tilt switches on different planes allow for gestural control of the sequencer.
Since 2003, John Richards has been exploring the idea of Dirty Electronics, focusing on face-to-face shared experiences, ritual, gesture, touch and social interaction. In Dirty Electronics, process and performance are inseparably bound and a large part of the Dirty Electronics experience is the workshop, which premiered the Mute Synth in the Roundhouse earlier this year.